Caught in the Rain
by Kirenza
Summary: It's not that I dislike rainstorms. I'm just not fond of getting wet. Fluri oneshot.


A/N: This one's just a drabble. It's more of a practice in first person/present tense (since I almost never write in either of those), plus I wanted to write about kisses in the rain, haha. There's some light Fluri (Flynn/Yuri) fluff towards the end.

* * *

He enjoys rainy days the most.

Always has, even when we were children. Even though his hair and clothes became soaked through, he'd still leap out into the afternoon shower, chasing puddle after puddle until he returned to the orphanage later, shoes waterlogged and covered in mud. But his face never showed an ounce of disappointment. It was one of the few times he displayed a genuine smile, genuine happiness.

Even now, he becomes enraptured by the downpour. He doesn't think I notice his preoccupation, what with piles of reports at my desk. But it isn't exactly hard to miss. I spare a glance toward him from time to time, sitting there at the windowsill and staring out onto the town as usual. Oftentimes he he lifts a hand into the cool, damp air and lets the water drip and slide over his fingers, seemingly fascinated by its path along his skin.

And when his attention wanes, mine shifts right back to work seamlessly. Knowing him, he's doubtless already caught onto me. But not a word escapes him. It's unusual, this silence, but expected. Yuri's mind is always elsewhere when the hush of rain fills the air.

He steps away from his perch at the window. Footsteps clack against the floor as he approaches my desk and leans against it.

"Hey. I wanna take a walk," he says.

"Go ahead. I'm not in charge of your actions."

"You should come with me."

My pen hovers briefly over the paper before touching down once more. "Why?"

"Why not?" He shrugs. "It's nice out."

"Your definition of nice weather is a bit different than normal. And besides," I pause, turning the paper over to a fresh side, "I have reports to finish."

With an irritable sigh, Yuri steps away and returns to the window. "You've been at them since I got here. It's not gonna kill you to take a ten-minute break."

He's right, and he knows it. "Alright, I will. But do we have to go outside?"

A look of hurt flashes over his face briefly, but he turns it into a roll of his eyes. "Come on, Flynn. Now you're just trying to argue with me."

"I'm not," I reassure him. "I'm just not very fond of getting wet."

"Then take an umbrella if you're so worried. It's not even that bad out."

I can't help smirking. He really is determined to drag me out into the rainstorm, isn't he? Once I reach the end of the paper, I set down my pen and step back from the desk. That familiar grin returns to his face, and together, we depart the office. He isn't one to stroll through the castle often, but his kind gesture doesn't go unappreciated. Outside isn't nearly as bad as I had anticipated; just a light shower. The sound had likely been amplified back in the office. A cool and gentle breeze brushes over my skin. It's invigorating, and I'm suddenly glad to have left my anxieties behind, if only for just a few moments. We step out into the drizzle and make our way through the city. Despite my protests, Yuri nabs an umbrella in the Citizens' Quarter from one of the few vendors out on the streets.

"There. Now you don't have any reason to complain," Yuri says as he hands off the umbrella.

Begrudgingly I take it and push open the canopy. It's a clear, sheen plastic, and I watch as the droplets plop against it and slide down, distorting the world outside it into a splash of colors that soon bleed together. A steady _plink_ing sounds in my ears, soft and pleasant. Just as I'm about to offer Yuri room underneath, he starts off down the street. I have to hurry to catch up to him. With hands in his pockets, Yuri tilts his head back as the water drips down his face.

We continue to the Lower Quarter. In spite of the weather, children chase one another down the road, and some wave in passing. Yuri returns each and every greeting, laughing and smiling all the while. And I'm suddenly thrown back ten years, watching a dark-haired child run past in my mind's eye. I can still hear Yuri's childish peals of laughter, practically hear the water slosh as he leaps from puddle to puddle. I half expect him to run off now, but he seems content enough to watch as children bask in the joys of a rainy day.

Soon we reach our old neighborhood. Much has changed through the years; new shops have replaced the dilapidated and abandoned houses. Still run down, but at least none of the windows are broken any more. Fresher, brighter coats of paint give the doors personality, but still scuffs are visible from the many ins and outs of customers. We walk by the old orphanage then. It had been shut down years back, and Yuri pauses before it to take in the familiar tan siding, the wooden planks boarding the doors, the elaborate window looking out from the attic. I recall the times we'd snuck up there to gaze onto the town, feeling a sense of pride and duty to one day help bring smiles to the peoples' faces.

Yuri moves on down the road then. His silence is a bit unsettling, and I tilt the umbrella back to get a better look at his face. Still smiling, but it's somber, somehow. It was understandable. That had been his home as a child; to see closed off now and no longer serve as a sanctuary to other orphaned children must've been a blow to his psyche.

"Why do you like the rain so much?" I ask, trying to pull him from that rut I know he's starting to fall into.

He perks up just a little. "It's refreshing." With closed eyes Yuri lifts a hand to the heavens, and water cascades down his arm. "It helps drown out my thoughts, too."

He returns the hand to his side. The steady cadence of the rain picks up until it's no longer just sprinkling. Yuri's brow briefly knits together in annoyance, but soon it smooths out. We're silent for a moment. I'd forgotten how complex of a soul he has—all those years of pain and guilt, hidden behind a playful smile and confident grey eyes. You'd never suspect all the dark thoughts and memories that whirl through his mind on a daily basis. He isn't one to speak about them often, even in the privacy of my office.

Yuri shakes his head then. "Sorry, man. Got a little depressing there."

Though the umbrella isn't big, it feels impolite to not at least offer him room underneath. I lift it higher and step closer until we're both shielded from the downpour. It's cramped and some of the rain skitters over my armor, but I don't mind in the slightest. Yuri chuckles and flashes me a smile. He's close now—so close that his breath plays teasingly over my lips. My heart quickens from the proximity, and it's oh, so tempting to just seal the distance then. Yuri makes the decision for me and presses gently against my lips. It's brief but sweet enough not to be accidental, and just as I'm about to return the gesture, Yuri pulls away.

And with him goes the umbrella. I catch a smirk on his face in the short moment before he runs off down the street with it. Sneaky bastard. As I bolt through the shower, calling after him, the rain causes hair to stick to my forehead and my clothes begin to dampen. A familiar note of laughter sounds in reply in addition to the slosh of our hurried footsteps over the saturated cobblestone road. Try as I might, I can't prevent the laughter from escaping me as well.

I round the corner into an alleyway and catch up to him in no time, giving him a nudge to the shoulder. Though the umbrella is still in hand, it rests at his side. Rain streams freely over both of us. By now Yuri's hair gleams from the moisture, dark strands curling around his cheeks and forehead, and his clothes cling to his frame. His chest trembles from both laughter and trying to catch his breath. But his smile is none the duller; I daresay he even looks pleased about his little prank.

Well, two can play at that game. I grab the opened collar of his tunic and yank him in to resume the earlier kiss. He nearly stumbles over me in surprise, but he catches himself. It isn't long before his free hand rests at the back of my neck and knots in my dampened hair. His lips are awfully slick and the rain tickles my skin, but it's a delightful sensation that I gladly welcome.

It isn't so bad after all, getting soaked by the rain. Especially if I get a kiss out of it in the end.


End file.
